Into Africa

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

 Hi,

I got about 3 hours sleep before I left and remembered almost everything.  Left Spokane at 7:10 and arrived in Minneapolis, had a short layover and then on an 8 hour flight to Amsterdam.  We arrived in Amsterdam about an hour ago.  So far uneventful and that is a good thing.  Met up with the other 18 or so people from LA and Phoenix and now we are all doing are own thing waiting for 4 hours until our next 8 hour flight.  We get to Entebbe at 9 Wednesday night which is 10 hours ahead of Spokane PDT.  We stay in Entebbe Wednesday night and then take a bus to Fort Portal for 2 nights.  Going on a safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park and then on another long bus ride across the country to Tororo.  That is where we will spend the rest of our time.

Go to  www.hope4kidsinternational.org and check out the Latest Trip Reports for Uganda.  Pictures will be posted there and a blog updated daily I think.  There is already a group there and some will be staying for another two weeks to work with us too.

No blood clots or any other problems yet, and hopefully never.  I forgot my earphones for my I-pod so I had to buy some so I could listen to my music.  I will be able to e-mail when I get to Tororo on Saturday for sure and maybe possibly before then.  I would love to hear from any of you.  I will try to keep you posted as the days go by.

Thanks for all your support, financially, emotionally and prayerfully.  We need all kinds of support.

And so the adventure begins ...

Bonita

In Africa

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Hello again,

We made it safely into Entebbe last night about 8:10.  Took about an hour and a half to go through customs and get our luggage.  Then onto the shuttle bus and to the hotel.  Funny how easy it is to fall asleep when you only have 7 hours of sleep in a 53 hour period.  Those 7 hours included the time dosing on and off on the airplanes.  Up at 6 am today for breakfast then we loaded our stuff and got on the shuttle bus for a 5 hour bus ride to Fort Portal which on the western side of Uganda about midway up the country.  We are staying here at a beautiful hotel called Mountains of the Moon which is one of the nicer hotels in this part of Uganda.

Before we left the hotel in Entebbe this morning we were encouraged to use the restroom since that was the last opportunity we would have for a real "restroom" until we got here.  Being told to go potty before we left reminded me of my many car trips as a child. The side of the road in the bushes is actually preferable to using the restrooms in gas stations.  Or so they tell us.  It took us a while to walk far enough down the road to avoid all the locals that came up to the road to see what all the commotion was about.  I now understand why women prefer to wear long flowing skirts here.  I don't remember the last time I purposely carried toilet tissue with me on a walk.

Back onto the shuttle to finish our trip.  It was a beautiful drive and full of great sights.  Most people here walk or ride bikes along the roads.  There are also a lot of motorcycles.  You can catch a ride on a bike or a motorcycle and the women ride side saddle because of their skirts.  I don't think I have the balance and agility to try that.  Bananas, coffee and tea are grown locally around Fort Portal.

We stopped at a nice restaurant for lunch when we arrived in Fort Portal.  We had a buffet of traditional African foods.  Some of the items were recognizable, some weren't.  Most all were very good.  I even tried goat for the first time in my life.  It was a little tough and chewy but I am glad to say I tried it.  I can't say that about the boiled calves hoof or pig's feet, I'm not sure what it was.  Kelly tried it but wasn't happy that he did.  We did get a picture though.   The avocados are about 3 times the size of ones we are used to.  The sweet potatoes were white and the yams were purple because of the sauce they were cooked in.

Checked into our hotel and are taking some time to get settled, then this evening we will be going to Sunrise House, an orphanage that is sponsored by Hope 4 Kids International.  Tomorrow we travel about 2 hours southwest to Queen Elizabeth National Park for the safari.  We stay another night here in Fort Portal and then on to Tororo.

The weather is great.  About 85 degrees with some humidity but very tolerable.  No air conditioning in our room but that must mean it cools off at night so we don't need it, I am guessing.  Well it is almost time to get ready to go to the orphanage.  So I must close for now.  I will write again tomorrow before we leave Fort Portal.  I think the blog will get posted sometime tomorrow so check it out along with pictures at www.hope4kidsinternational.org.

Thanks again for keeping all of us, and all those whose lives we touch, in your thoughts and prayers.  GOD IS GOOD!!!

In Peace,
Bonita

African Life

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Hi All,

Well sorry for promising to you that I would write after we returned the night of the safari.  No, we didn't get eaten by lions.  But we did have an adventure even so.  We loaded up into 3 smaller vans that we hired just for the day.  That way we could all have a window seat and get a good opportunity to see the animals and take pictures.  The 2 hour drive to the park took 3 hours and so we missed our 11:00 boat departure.  So we switched things around and ate lunch first.  At lunch a herd? of warthogs (Pumba) came wandering through the grassy area next to the outdoor restaurant.  Kelly was busy getting some close ups of one of the warthogs who had laid down for a nap when he nearly backed into an elephant that was in pursuit of a free lunch.  After checking out the smoldering garbage in the trash bin, and making us all back up a bit to give him some space, the elephant took off back into the park. 

After lunch we drove down to the lake and climbed aboard a boat to check out the animals in the water.  We saw hippos, cape buffaloes, lots of birds, even some crocodiles.  After 2 hours, we got back in the vans and took off to see the animals in the savannah.  We saw elephants, kopis, warthogs, baboons, gazelles, antelope and more horned animals.  Tom Eggum, founder of Hope 4 Kids, was telling me before the safari how lucky he had been on the trip before ours because they actually saw a lion chasing and taking down its prey.  He said his guide on that trip told him he was very lucky to see lion because the National Geographic had been in the park for 45 days trying to film lion in the wild about a month ago and never did see any.

We too wanted to see lions so our guide decided to take us to where he thought we might see some and sure enough after awhile our guide spotted them.  All we could see was the tops of their heads because they were lying down in the grass.  Our guide also told us that if we wanted to get a closer look we needed to be very quick and drive over (off the road) and back, but not to stop.  Just drive over and come right back to the road.  Well the first two vans did just that, drove over near them and took pictures of the female lion and 3 young lions.  The third van however was not content with that and so circled the pride of lions and then noticed that there was also a male lion under one of the trees.  So they drove around some more snapping more photos while the rest of us were back on the road. That’s when we noticed that a guard with a shotgun on a motorcycle was stopped a distance behind us on the road.  Since the third van was the only one off the road at the time, he pursued them.  We tried to motion to them that they were in trouble but to no avail.  By the time the guard reached them, the tour guide in our van was sweating it out.  He could lose his job if he was caught with us, so we decided to drive off a bit and hope that everything turned out okay.  Well, after Pastor Bob explained that they just wanted to get some close ups of the lions, and accepted and paid the $30 fine for going off road, he asked the guard if they could continue to take some pictures of the male lion.  The guard said "yes" and so they stayed awhile longer.  We on the other hand decided to head out since we didn't want the guide to get in any trouble.  He thought the fine would be $150.  We talked with the other van by phone and decided to just meet up with them later.  We all left the park since it was almost dark and met up as we crossed the equator.  Got home that night about 9:30 and were all exhausted.  There were still many people walking and riding bikes along the highway after dark. 

The next morning we got up early so we could eat breakfast before our long journey across the country.  It rained heavy as we were loading up but wasn't too bad once we got on the road.  Our van driver is amazing.  I cannot believe the way people drive here.  Tom Eggum assured us the first night that our drivers were excellent drivers even though it appears as though they are endangering your lives.  He explained that drivers have different ways of signaling each other and that doesn't include any use of the middle finger.  Passing going up hills, around curves and just about anywhere else, even in the middle of a construction zone.  They are amazing drivers but keep your head and hands in the van or you might lose them.  There were a couple of times I could have high fived someone in a passing vehicle.

Our 9 hour drive in a very cramped and well worn van, took us on some really bad stretches of highway??? that make Spokane streets look like the streets of heaven paved with gold.  We stopped for 2 potty stops along the way, once at a gas station that actually had okay restrooms and once again along side of the road.  Our lunch was Fast Food African-style as we stopped in Kampala at a roadside market and purchased chicken on a stick.  It was really good.  We also bought some bananas and some chapatti.  Got here around 6 or so and had time to get settled before we took off to see the site where we will be working this next week.  Came back and had dinner here at the hotel.  This morning we got to sleep in until 6:00.  We will be eating breakfast everyday between 6:30 and 8:00 and then have Family Time at 8:15 before breaking out for the day’s activities.

Today was Sunday so we went to church at the True Vine Ministries site.  The majority of the people on this mission trip are Lutheran so we were told that worship might be a little different than what we experience every Sunday at home.  That was an understatement.  We arrived and were greeted by hundreds of people, young and old, men and women, many who had walked up to 10 miles to attend church.  There was much dancing and singing and praying.  They took 2 offerings, the first being a Tithe and the second one being anything else they had to offer.  Most brought money but some brought food and other non-monetary offerings.  After the offerings were brought forward, we sang "Lift Up Jesus Higher" a song on one of my Watoto Choir CD's.  This is when they pick up their white plastic chairs and raise them over their heads to get higher to Jesus.  This song and dance went on for over 10 minutes.  Something I will never forget was seeing a crippled woman who came in with flip flops on her hands, crawling on her hands and knees to the front row of the church.  I don't know  how long of a distance she traveled to get there, but I was in awe of her and went over and hugged here during one of the song and dance intervals.  Pastor Bob Mooney delivered the sermon about what it means to be a part of the body of Christ.  We may look different, some black, some white, but our flesh and our hearts are the same.  Worship lasted 2 hours but no one was bored or wondering how much longer it would go on.  We were all sad when it was over. 

We came back to the hotel for lunch and then had some down time before going to the local hospital here in Tororo later in the afternoon.  We stopped by the church and picked up some of our African pastors and friends and proceeded to the hospital.  We then split up into groups of 4-5 people, each going to a different ward of the hospital.  My group went into the maternity ward where we met and prayed with women in a variety of stages of childbirth.  None of them seemed to be in hard labor, but we did meet a woman who had delivered twins, one had a day old baby girl, and others who were in labor.  Most of the women we talked with were believers, but we did meet one who wasn't yet.  After the pastor shared the Gospel with her, and the each of us prayed with her, she confessed.  We prayed again for her and her unborn baby.

Most of the other groups had more unsettling experiences since they were seeing people who for the most part are in the final stages of this life as we know it.  Here in Africa most people don't go to the hospital to get well, they go there to die.  It is a sad thing and very hard for us to comprehend, especially those who work in the medical field.  But a moving experience it was for all, both us Mzungu (white people) and for the Ugandan people.

We came back from that and had dinner and now some down time to digest all that has gone on the past few days before we break out into the different mission activities we will be doing each day.  Tomorrow I think I will go work with the women and widows outreach.  They meet at the True Vine Ministry campus and sew, make paper beads and other things.  I also plan to go out on Wednesday to a feeding program that hands out food to some of the poorest children in this country.

My eyes have been so opened by all that is here, the way these people live, the joy they experience and their love for the Lord.  They are amazing people and have way more to give and share with us than we do with them.  PRAISE THE LORD!!!  GOD IS GOOD!!!

I will try to e-mail daily still, but may not always be able to.  Sometimes the power goes out and although the generators come on, the internet will not work.  The internet and computer set-up here at the hotel was not operating until this afternoon.  It is something they were feverishly working on getting set up late last night.  And then there is the fact that 15 or so other people want to get on the internet and

(This e-mail blog was cut off due to a power outage.)

Africa Calling

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hi again,

This is going to be short because there is a very long line of people trying to get on this one computer now that the internet is back up and running for the first time in 2 days.

Yesterday we spent time at the mission site, unpacking and listing medical supplies that we brought over from Sacred Heart hospital in Spokane.  We also went shopping to support the Widow's Store there. 

Then I took the afternoon off and stayed close to home since I was not feeling all that well.  Better today except now my back feels like it is going to go out on me.

Today was spent at the site and then to a farm owned by the True Vine Ministries.  We planted soybeans by hand.  Holes were dug, 3 seeds dropped in, fertilizer added and then covered up again.  Then someone sprayed Roundup on all the excess vegetation growing around the rows.

I really must sign off but just wanted to say that I am getting so much more than I am giving.  These beautiful African people are so very friendly and welcoming and so full of hope, joy and faith.  They have a lot to teach us poor in spirit Americans.

More later as time allows.

Bonita

Smile Africa and the Karamojong Children

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

A number of months ago, the Karamojong children around Tororo would rise early in the morning to dig through the trash for rotten potatoes and other produce thrown out by vendors. One day a 10 year old girl, Maria, was picking through the trash for food. She found a piece of meat in the mouth of a dead rat. Within hours she died a violent death. We knew we had to do something and began helping Pastor Ruth of Smile Africa to feed these children. 

Up to 420 children arrive daily and are fed two meals, they are bathed, their clothes are washed, and wounds are treated. There are teachers on hand teaching them reading, writing, and arithmetic. These children whom were regarded as parasites to the community are now filled with the love of Christ.

The above passage was taken from the Hope 4 Kids website.  Now I will add my own story here.  These dear starving children ran to the bus shouting "Welcome, welcome!" as we drove onto the site.  They grabbed us and held onto our hands as we came out of the bus.  Some of the smaller children wanted to be picked up.  Most just wanted a smile or a handshake.  After the initial chaos of our arrival, the children were asked to sit down on the concrete slab.  They then sang songs to us for over 20 minutes all the while the rice and meat stock were being prepared over open fires.  Once the food was prepared, the children all lined up to wash their hands, then they went and sat down again on the slab.  They were so polite and orderly.  Today was the best day of the week, the one day they actually receive meat to go with their rice.  In the morning they receive porridge.  We all helped dish out the food and serve it.  We started at one end and served a plate to each child as they sat patiently waiting.  It took about 30 minutes to serve all 408+ children.  When they finished they went back to the water spigot to wash their hands again, then they went to play.

Once we were done serving everyone, we played and visited with the children and adults that were there.  Most of these children wore clothes, not many had shoes, some wore nothing at all.  Some of the most destitute slept on a reed mat the entire time we were there.  You have all seen pictures or video of the starving children in Africa.  That was these children a few months ago when Pastor Ruth started this feeding program.  Now the children get immunized periodically, get 2 meals a day 6 days a week, and on Wednesday they receive a piece of meat with their rice at lunch.  The health care workers also treat sores and cuts on these children and so they look much better and are much healthier now than they were when this program was started just a few months ago.

This was a very emotional time.  To be amongst these children and to see their joy at receiving a plate of rice with a chunk of meat on it covered with broth ...  To see their joy as they sang songs about Jesus and how good He is to them.  To see their joy as they ran up to us when we came and all throughout the time us Mzungu were there.  They ran after the bus as we left.  Most all of us were in tears.

After that emotionally draining experience I took the rest of the afternoon off.  We had dinner around 8:00 and then the power went out.  That normally happens at night but the generator kicks in within 3 seconds.  That didn't happen last night so there were a few candles in the hotel that were lit and hot waxed to the floor of the hotel halls, etc. so we could see the way back to our rooms.  It was an early night to bed for most which all in all was probably a good thing.  The power finally came on 1 1/2 hours later once we were all asleep. 

Our night of sleep was long and restful and today we get to go see where some of the money our Mission Team gave to Tools 4 Schools went.  As a Mission Team, we donated $500 to help purchase text books and other materials for the local schools here in Tororo.

More later. Blessings to all of you,

Bonita

Tools 4 Schools and the African Bush

Friday, July 25, 2008

Habari,

Well the internet has been on and off for the past two days, mostly off when I have been at the hotel.  So now I will try to catch you up on the last two amazing days.

Yesterday a group of about 8 of us drove to Mulaba which in on the Uganda-Kenya border.  One of the members of True Vine Ministries owns and operates a boarding school there called "He Reigns" College.  It is actually a school and boarding school for both girls and boys grades S1 - S6.  Secondary school is basically what we call Middle School and High School.  It was a really big day for Tools 4 Schools which is a program started by Kelly Kiki (our friend from Spokane) under the umbrella of Hope 4 Kids.

Kathee, a woman from Indianapolis, worked very closely with Kelly this past year and raised over $16,000 with one fundraiser.  They were able to purchase 9 million schillings (roughly $8,000) worth of text books for this school.  The presentation of these books was the highlight of the event yesterday.  Representatives from the City Clerk's office, the Minister of Education and various other dignitaries were also present at the ceremony.  Radio interviews were done which were broadcast last night and this morning in the area and the Ugandan newspaper "New Vision" will be running the story on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week.  We will have to look it up on line.

Kathee explained to us this morning that it was the happiest day of her life.  WOW!!!  The books arrived on site during the middle of the ceremony, then the boxes were brought in and opened up.  We passed many of the textbooks out to the students who were so eager to see them and use them in their classrooms.  We then asked the students to pass them back in, which they all did very reluctantly.

Kelly explained to the students that the gift of these textbooks (some for every different subject in every grade level) might possibly make this school the most advanced school in Uganda.  Currently there are around 400 students who attend school there.  The cost to attend is $65/semester which includes room and board.  The school went from having 1 textbook to each 100 students to 1 textbook for each 5 students.  The students will have to check the books out of the library which is also being built now out of a refurbished classroom.  The library and some other classroom modifications are also being funded by a portion of the money raised by Kathee in Indianapolis.

Following the tour of the school, the ceremony, and lunch, we were treated to an International Soccer (FOOTBALL) game between secondary students from Kenya and the students from He Reigns.  It was a great event and we were treated like royalty the entire day.  Unfortunately for He Reigns, the Kenya team won the game 4 - 2.  There was a minor riot that broke out towards the end of the game when Kenya was up 3 - 2 and the Ugandan team was awarded a penalty kick.  Someone on the Kenyan team, fearing Uganda would tie the game with the penalty kick, took out the referee and both teams proceeded to brawl in the middle of the field.  The School Director had to go out and break it up.  The Ugandan team missed making a goal and soon Kenya scored again so they ended up winning anyway.  After the game we said our goodbyes and came back to Tororo and spent the rest of the evening regrouping.     

Today was kind of a slow day in that there weren't too many activities to do.  Some went on a hike into the bush to give immunizations and speak about health issues with those who lived there.  Some went back to the farm to do some more planting, some went back to feed the Karamojong children again.

I chose to go for lunch out in the bush.  One of the pastors from True Vine Ministries invited a group out for lunch today.  It took 75 minutes to get there on some paved but mostly dirt roads and lanes.  We visited with Isaac's family (he is the brother of Pastor Wilbur from True Vine Church).  Several of his brothers and most of his children were there.  His family has lived in that area for time eternal, as our driver put it.  They all live in different homes or huts in the vicinity of one another and work together on building each others homes and caring for each others children, as well as other orphaned children in the area.

It was a great day!  Soon after we ate, we were introduced to the entire family and then we drove back the 75 minute drive.  Coming back to Tororo was fun because it was the end of the day and many people were going home from work, the market, school kids going back home, etc. so there was a lot of activity on the road.  Arrived back to the hotel and found out the internet was working, Yippee!!!  So now I must close and allow others the opportunity to get on and share their experiences.

I will try to write again tomorrow evening sometime.  We will be heading to church on Sunday morning and leaving directly for Entebbe from church so I won't be able to post another e-mail after Saturday.

See you all soon.  Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.

Love, Bonita

Final Full Day in Tororo, Uganda

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Jambo,

I am sure this will be my last e-mail from Uganda.  It is now 6 p.m. Saturday evening.  We will be having dinner shortly followed by Family Time where we will all debrief.  Today a group of people went back to the Smile Africa feeding site to feed all the Karamojong children.  Today's menu was rice and beans with some short of soup mixture poured over the top.  A few others went to Pastor Joseph's house for lunch today.  I chose to stay back at the hotel again as I was a bit under the weather today.  Both my roommates have been in bed pretty much all day long suffering from various ailments.

I did go to the True Vine Ministry site this afternoon to pick up some clothing I had made and then on the bus to downtown Tororo where a group of us did a little shopping in some "Super Markets."

Tomorrow we will be up bright and early loading up the vans one with our checked luggage and the other with our carry on items.  We will go to the True Vine site for worship at 10:30 and we will be leaving before it is over.  We need to allow enough time to get back to Entebbe by 8:00 p.m. for check in.  If the roads and weather permit we will be stopping in Jinja to possibly dip our feet in the Nile River and then on to Kampala where we will stop for a very short shopping excursion in the African Village marketplace. 

I expect it will be a grueling flight home after spending 8-10 hours on a cramped bus, with 2 legs of our trip home in 8 hour segments.  We have a short layover in Amsterdam this time but a 7 hour layover in Minneapolis getting into Spokane Monday evening.

I want to thank you all for taking the time to read my e-mails, for your responses and for your financial support but most importantly for your prayers.  I have survived with only a couple bouts of stomach sickness and although my back has felt like it was going to go out on several occasions, I have somehow managed to keep that from happening.  But I am seriously looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again, eating pizza, and even eating a Big Mac sounds really good now.

This hotel is the best in the area, but as the East Africa guidebook I purchased stated, tourists don't stay in Tororo, so hotels there are not too impressive.  But from what Tom Eggum and the other veterans tell us, things have improved dramatically here at this hotel in the 5 years they have been coming here.

I am planning on having a celebration dinner and presentation sometime later this summer or early fall.  We will also be putting together some sort of fundraiser event later this fall or next Spring and will be inviting Kelly Kiki or Pat Sullivan to come and speak to us about Hope 4 Kids.  Pat is the President of the Board of Directors for Hope 4 Kids and he lives in Spokane as does Kelly who is the founder of Tools 4 Schools.

There are so many programs under the Hope 4 Kids umbrella that I am not sure which one I want to focus on.  It will take me some time to digest all that has transpired in the past two weeks but one thing I am sure of is that I am changed in ways that I don't even understand quite yet.  My experiences here in Africa demand that I take action and help in a very deliberate way to aid these people in some fashion.  I hope that my experience and enthusiasm will be contagious to you and others I meet along the way.  I don't know what God has in store for me but I certainly hope it will include another trip back to Uganda in the near future.  Maybe you will be joining me next time around.

Well, it is time for me to close so until we meet again. God Bless You Mzungu.  You are very welcome.  Thank You!!!  Jambo!

Love from Africa, Bonita

Final Blog from our Trip to Uganda

Monday, August 4, 2008

Hello Mzungu,

I would like to finalize my blog today now that I am a bit more rested up.  Last week was a difficult one for me for many reasons … lack of sleep (4 hours sleep in a 54 hour time span of riding on buses, airplanes and airport layovers), jet lag, culture shock, still some stomach upset, and then getting the opportunity to work 3 more afternoon/evenings out at the Spokane Indians concessions stand.  Yesterday, Sunday was indeed a day of rest for me.  I went to church and then took it easy the remainder of the day.  My back and whole body feel 100% better today than they did yesterday.

A week ago Sunday, we loaded our gear on the buses, ate breakfast and then headed to church at True Vine Ministries once again.  This time we left during the service only so that we could get out of there without a ton of fanfare and long goodbyes.  We stopped in Jinja along the way to Kampala.  Jinja is located at the source of the Nile River which begins at Lake Victoria.  Here we were able to shop for souvenirs, take a short boat ride on the Nile, if we wanted to and pay to use the restroom, if needed.  We learned that it takes 3 months for the water at Jinja to travel the entire 4000 miles of the Nile River and to reach the Mediterranean Sea.

It was also in Jinja that Tom Eggum’s son Nick became very sick.  He had been riding on the bus across the aisle from me and had been complaining that he wasn’t feeling well.  I thought it was because his seat was prone to exhaust fumes and lots of heat from the engine.  He looked terrible and I could tell he was in a tremendous amount of pain.  As I watched him get off the bus and go from bad to worse, I recalled my own experiences with kidney stones and suggested that might be his problem.  As we left Jinja, he got in the vehicle with his dad and they tried to take him to the hospital there.  They called a specialist who agreed that it did indeed sound like he was suffering from a kidney stone.  The doctor suggested that he get some heavy duty pain pills and try to get home to the U.S. before going to the hospital.  By the time we met up with them again in Kampala for dinner, the pain had subsided somewhat and he looked a whole lot better.

We ate our last meal together at a Chinese restaurant in Kampala called Fang, Fang.  It was really a treat.  Not only was the food wonderful, but the service was impeccable.  We were treated like royalty.  We were brought hot steamy washcloths to clean up with before dinner.  We embarrassingly turned them from white to reddish brown with all the dirt we had picked up along the 20 mile stretch of dirt road coming from Tororo.  We ended the meal with pineapple and a watermelon that had flowers and the word “FAREWELL” carved in the rind.  We used the restroom again and loaded back on the buses for the short ride to the airport in Entebbe.  We got there about 7:30, checked in, went through security and waited for our 10:20 departure.  We spent 22 of the next 36 hours on planes or in layovers at various airports.  It was a long 54 hours with only about 4 hours sleep total during that time. 

Once I got home, I thought I might crash and burn for 24 hours or so, but I woke up on Monday morning at the regular time.  It was as though the 10 hour time change did not make any difference at all coming or going.  The hardest part of the week for me was working Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons & evenings out at the Spokane Indians concessions stand.  This was our final homestand for the Uganda Mission Team and it was the busiest one of the year for the Indians.  There was a picnic of some sort each day which meant I had to be there at 2:30 each day.  Friday night was $1 Family Feast and Saturday was the Avista Picnic, which is the busiest game of the year for the concessions stand.  I was exhausted and my back almost gave out again, but thankfully after a day of rest I am back to business as usual.

Finally, I want to let you know how much we appreciated all of your support throughout the past year leading up to this trip.  FYI – with your help, we have already raised a significant amount of money to fund another trip for those who may be interested next year or sometime in the not too distant future.  It was a wonderful experience and I hope that I can return to Uganda someday.

Kathy and I, as well as others from Spokane, will be hosting an informal get-together at Prince of Peace on a Sunday in September.  We will be serving some of the traditional foods we ate everyday in Uganda.  We will also be talking about and showing our pictures and videos from our trip.  I hope that you all can make it.  Date and time will be announced in the bulletin and newsletter.

JAMBO –

Bonita